Animal-trap



(No Model.) I

E. KELLEY.

ANIMAL TRAP.

No. 424,792. Patented-Apr. 1, 1890.

MWZW

' ATTO R N EYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. KELLEY, OF NIAGARA FALLS, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE ONEIDA COM- MUNITY,(LIMITED) OF COMMUNITY, NElV YORK.

ANIMAL-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,792, dated April 1,1890.

Application filed March 25, 1889. Serial No. 304,703. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. KELLEY, of Niagara Falls, in the county ofNiagara, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Animal-Traps, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention has reference to the class of animal-traps in whichspring-actuated jaws are held in their set position by the engagement ofthe bait-pan with one of the jaws.

My present invention consists in an improved construction of thebait-pan and its attachment to the base-plate or supportingframe of thetrap, and also in a peculiar form of that portion of the base-plate towhich the bait-pan is hinged, all as hereinafter fully described, andspecifically set forth in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a trapembodying my improvements, and showing the same in its set position.Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line a 41' Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aninverted plan View of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail view of thesegregated parts of the bait-pan and its attaching-pin; and Fig. 5 is adetached plan view of the base-plate, to which the bait pan is hinged.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A and A denote the two fiat metal bars rigidly secured at right anglesto each other and forming the base orsupporting-frame of the trap, thebar A being provided at opposite ends with posts P I, to which the jawsC O are hinged in the usual manner.

D represents the spring, which is hung to one of the aforesaid posts andactuates the jaws. Said jaws are re'enforced by inwardprojecting flangest' 2' on the inner edges of their tops.

P represents the bait-pan, and P the shank thereof, by which saidbait-pan is hinged to the base-plate A. This bait-pan I prefer to formof a sheet-metal disk, in the central portion of which I punch a mortiseor slot a, and in the edge of said disk I cut a notch a in line with theaforesaid mortise, as shown in Fig. 4c of the drawings. The shank Pconsists of a plate of uniform thickness, preferably stamped out ofsheet metal and disposed edgewise vertically, and provided on the topedge of one end with rabbets l) b, and with a tenon 1. between saidrabbets, and having its Opposite end extending downward and bifurcated,as shown at (Z in Fig. f of the drawings.

The pan P is seated on the rabbeted top of the shank P, the rabbetsforming countersinks which bring the top of the bait-pan flush with thetop of the shank. In applying the pan to the shank, as aforesaid, thetenont enters the mortise a, and the top portion of the shank adjacentto the countersink or rabbet 1) enters the notch a, and thus the pan isnot only supported at its center, but is also effectually prevented fromturning on the shank, to which it is further secured by clinchin g orupsetting the upper end of the tenon t. The shank P ,I hinge to thebase-plate A by providing the latter with a longitudinal slot 0, andinserting through said slot the bifurcated end of the shank, thenplacing on the under side of the plate A and crosswise the slot 0 a pina, and then bending the protruding prongs of the bifurcated end of theshank around the central portion of the pin, so as to effectuallyembrace the same, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In order to retainmore securely the pin e, embraced as aforesaid, I form the same with areduced central neck 0', as shown in Fig. f of the drawings, for thereception of the aforesaid prongs of the shank P. The connection of thebait-pan shank to the base-plateA ,I make at a point directly under theflange t' of the jaw 0 when in its set position, as illustrated in Fig.2 of the drawings, and the outer end of the shank I form with a recess0, extending inward past a vertical line over the pivot or hinge pin 6,and above this recess the shank P is formed with an outward-projectinghook or shoulder I, which engages the top of the flange i, and therebyretains the jaw in. its set position, the recess r, under the hook Z,allowing the aforesaid engagement. The slot 0 is of sufficient length toallow the bait-pan shank to freely oscillate vertically into and out ofengagement with the jaw. Said-engagement, being directly over the pivotof the shank P, as before stated, enables the said shank to retain itshold onthe jaw C.

In order to limit the oscillatory movement of the bait pan, so as toretain it in a convenient position fol-bringing it into engagement withthe jaw 0 when desired to set the trap. I form the outer end of thebase-plate A with an upward curvature, as shown at f in Figs. 1 and 2 ofthe drawings, and form the corresponding end of the shank P with anoutward-projecting heel h, by which it bears on the top of the endportion f of the base-plate,

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the shank P, formed with the countersink b andwith the tenon t 111 said countersink, and the disk P, seated in thecountersink and provided with DhG'HlOl use a in its central portion forthe reception of the tenon t, and having the notch a in its edge for thereception of the top portion of the shank adjacent to the countersink toprevent the bait-pan from turning thereon, substantially as describedand shown.

2. The combination of the base-plate A, provided with the single slot 0,the shank P, formed with the bifurcated downward exten- S1011 cl,passing through the said slot, and the separate pin 6, placed on theunder side of the base-plate and embraced by the protruding ends of theextension (I, substantially as described and shown.

3. In combination with the base-plate A, provided with the single slot0, and the shank P, formed with the bifurcated downward extension dpasSing through said slot, the separate pin 6, placed on the under sideof the base-plate and formed with the reduced cen-- tral neck 6, andhaving said neck embraced by the protruding ends of the extension 61,substantially as described and shown.

4. The base-plate A, formed with the upwardly-curved end portion f, incombination with the bait-pan having the shank P hinged to saidbase-plate andforme'd with the heel h over the portion f of thebase-plate, substantially as described and shown.

5. In combination with the base-plate A and the spring-actuated jaws O0, formed with the flanges i i, the bait-pan shank P, pivoted to thebase-plate at a point directly under the. flange of the jaw when in itsset position and the outer end of said shank formed with the recess a"over the pivot, the

"hook l above the said recess, and the out- HARRY E. KELLEY. [L. 8.]

Witnesses:

G. N. MILLER, FRED I. PIERCE.

